That’s teamwork

Senior guard Matt Mazarei gets a high-five from 10-year-old Ricardo Silas at Needham Elementary School after the Fort Lewis College menís and womenís basketball teams helped promote the themes of communication, cooperation and enthusiasm as part of the schoolís International Baccalaureate program.

JOSH STEPHENSON/Durango Herald

Senior guard Matt Mazarei gets a high-five from 10-year-old Ricardo Silas at Needham Elementary School after the Fort Lewis College menís and womenís basketball teams helped promote the themes of communication, cooperation and enthusiasm as part of the schoolís International Baccalaureate program.

Helping to introduce the themes of communication, cooperation and enthusiasm, Fort Lewis College basketball players were guest hosts of a Needham Elementary School assembly Friday. The three themes are part of the schoolís International Baccalaureate program, which is part of the curriculum in almost 3,500 schools in 144 countries.

The athletes did drills without talking or cooperating and without enthusiasm before doing the same drills as an enthusiastic team that talks and works together so that students could see the difference.

Needham Principal David Tanaka said it was a great inspiration to host the teams.

ďA lot of times, kids are spectators in life, and we really want to encourage them to be participants, not just kids sitting on the sidelines. So this is a great chance for them to see what that looks like,Ē said Tanaka.

Florida Mesa Elementary is the only other IB school in Durango. For more information about the International Baccalaureate program, visit www.ibo.org.